Undone
by Healer Pomfrey
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
COMPLETELY AU! Partly OOC.
It is my story, and I intend to write it the way I want it. If you don't like it, don't read it.
Reviews are very welcome, as they inspire my muse. Thank you very much for the kind feedback on the previous chapter!
The following weeks passed peacefully for everyone but Ronald Weasley, who was constantly racking his brain how to get his revenge at Snape, his daughter and her housemates – without any success so far.
The first Quidditch match of the year was Gryffindor versus Wallace and took place at the beginning of October. Harry was extremely excited, even if his housemates and especially his teammates reassured him that everything would go well, pointing out that Cedric had done more than a dozen Seeker scrimmages with him to give him confidence and that Harry had won all of them.
'You'll do well,' Luna thought to him, when the teams gathered on the Quidditch pitch. 'Remember that the Gryffindor team is completely new, as all of their former members have transferred to Wallace. Their Seeker doesn't have any more experience than you.'
'Have you seen anything?' Harry enquired in desperation.
'No dear, but I just know it,' Luna replied, confidently, her thoughts laced with a dreamy touch.
As usual, his future wife's prediction was correct, even if only by intuition and not a vision. Harry caught the Snitch after mere thirty minutes, ending the match for Wallace 230 – 30.
To the whole school's surprise, the Wallace students ad hoc invited the Gryffindor team and the reserve team to their victory party in the Wallace common room, and to everyone's astonishment and some Gryffindor students' annoyance, the Gryffindor team accepted the invitation and spent an enjoyable day in the new house.
"We should always invite the other teams to our Quidditch parties," Luna said, dreamily, once the Gryffindors had left to return to their own common room an hour before dinner.
"Yes, that was a wonderful idea," Rosie spoke up, who had just entered the common room together with Professor McGonagall.
"One hundred points to Wallace," the visiting professor spoke up, before she apologized, "I hope you don't mind, but I was just curious and wanted to take a look at your common room. It's not so usual that we have a new house to see."
"Hi Professor, you're very welcome here," Angelina was the first to reply, and everyone nodded their heads in confirmation.
"Since our house is new, we don't have any reputation to keep up," Gwendolyn spoke up, "and we thought that it would be good if we made our house to one in which visitors are always welcome."
HP
The professors seemed to greatly approve the Wallace students' attitude, and Wallace house quickly became very popular, not least because its students studying behaviour rivalled that of Ravenclaw. Even if Wallace had less students than each of the other houses, or maybe because of the matter, during the week before Halloween, Wallace was the leading house in the number of house points.
The only member of Hogwarts who felt really bothered by the new house's attitude was Ronald Weasley. Although his twin brothers were in the new house and seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, he was too angry at his betrothed, who had laughed about his mistakes not only once but as often as three times in their Potions classes, as well as at Harry Potter, who had seen to it that Wallace won over Gryffindor in the Quidditch match.
'We were supposed to have a Quidditch victory party in our own house,' he thought, angrily, and all of a sudden, a plan manifested itself in his brain. One morning, when he was gathering his ingredients in the ingredient cupboard, he lingered until his classmates had returned to their seats and hurriedly pocketed a couple of dragon scales from the shelf that was labelled as dangerous. 'I'll use them at the next opportunity,' he resolved.
The chance for his revenge presented itself during their double Potions class in the afternoon of Halloween. At the beginning of the class, Snape had instructed the pairs to for once brew together in one cauldron, and while Ronald prepared the ingredients, Gwendolyn was doing the brewing – on her decision, as Ronald would have preferred to brew himself, not realising the grade of his own incompetency. They were about half through the brewing process, when a knock at the door made everyone look up, as the Healer stepped into the classroom.
"Severus, I urgently need a batch of the Squid's flu," Pomfrey said to the professor.
'It's now or never,' Ronald thought and unobtrusively pulled the dragon scales out of his robe pocket, turned around and smashed them into Neville's and Harry's cauldron, while most students were still distracted upon the news that Hagrid had caught the Squid's flu from the Giant Squid.
An instant later, he heard a shriek from behind and observed from the corner of his eyes how his classmates' potion exploded. While Potter managed to push Longbottom under the table, he could not prevent himself from being hit by the burning liquid.
A contented smile spread over Ronald's face, which did not go unnoticed by his partner.
HP
With a flick of his wand, Severus banished all potions from the students' cauldrons, before he dismissed the class and turned to the causers of the accident, noticing from the corner of his eye that his daughter as well as the Lovegood girl refused to leave. Instead, Gwendolyn was kneeling under the table where the accident had happened, while Luna Lovegood was standing aside, seeming very absentminded.
'Thank Merlin it was a relatively harmless potion, and Potter is very good at brewing,' he thought, as he approached the scene, his eyes widening in shock, when Gwendolyn informed him that Potter was unconscious.
"Who brewed the potion?" he hissed at the completely frightened Longbottom.
"Harry did sir," the boy replied in a small voice. "I think someone threw something into our cauldron."
"If so, it must have been Weasley," Gwendolyn said, gravely. "I saw that he was highly amused at what happened.
Scooping the unconscious boy into his arms, Severus instructed Longbottom to head to his next class and excuse Harry and the two girls. 'They should go, too, but I somehow feel reassured by Gwendolyn's presence, and Lovegood is his betrothed,' he thought, as he readied himself to leave the classroom.
"Harry will be magically handicapped," Lovegood suddenly blurted out, before she turned to Gwendolyn, teary-eyed.
"Dad, Luna is a Seer," Gwendolyn explained, gently laying her arm around Lovegood's back.
Horrified, Severus carried the boy all the way to the hospital wing and placed him in the first bed next to Poppy's office.
The healer immediately bustled out of her office and began casting spells at the boy. 'I need to get a grasp at myself,' Severus thought and commenced casting his own diagnostic spells. However, after ten minutes of casting spell over spell, he was none the wiser.
"Severus, I don't have a clue as to why Mr. Potter is in a coma," Poppy finally said, letting her wand sink. "What were they supposed to brew?"
"The potion for the wizard's flu," Severus replied, tiredly pushing an errand strand of hair from his cheek.
"Do you have any remaining of the potion?" Poppy continued to ask.
"There was a bit on the floor," Gwendolyn spoke up. "I'll go and collect it."
Severus nodded, knowing that his daughter was responsible and adept enough to carefully and properly collect drops solely from the fateful liquid.
"Go and examine the liquid," Poppy instructed him, pulling him out of his reverie.
"First I will go and speak with Weasley," Severus disagreed and strode towards the fireplace.
"Cicero," he called his house-elf. "Send Ronald Weasley to the headmaster's office immediately."
HP
"Miss Lovegood, you might as well head to your last afternoon class," Pomfrey said to the girl, who had made herself as comfortable as possible in the situation on the edge of Harry's bed.
"That was our last afternoon class," Luna replied in a subdued voice. "Please let me stay here. I promise I won't disturb you."
'Harry, wake up, sweetie. We must know what exactly happened,' she thought to Harry.
'Weasley put something into our cauldron,' Harry replied, before letting out a small groan. 'Hurts,' he added and quietened down.
"Madam Pomfrey, Harry is awake," Luna spoke up in excitement. "He told me that Ronald put something in his cauldron and that it hurts."
"Thank you dear," Pomfrey replied and hurriedly fetched a pain relieving potion, which she spelled into the boy's system. "He's still in a coma though, although it's reassuring that he's able to communicate with you. Please only use it if necessary though to not further aggravate his condition.
HP
At the same time, Severus filled the headmaster in on what seemed to have happened in his first-year class.
Shaking his head in apparent annoyance, Dumbledore leaned into the fireplace and called his deputy as well as Molly Weasley into his office.
'Hurry up,' Severus thought. 'I need to examine the potion.'
To his relief, it did not take long before Minerva and Molly stepped out of the fireplace, just when the youngest redhead boy entered the office.
"Weasley, did you put something in Longbottom's and Potter's cauldron?" Severus asked, sharply.
"No," the boy replied, boldly.
Severus sighed in annoyance. "Then you won't mind if I question you under Veritaserum, right?" he asked, causing the redhead's face to turn to an angry red.
"No," the boy refused, impolitely.
"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore spoke up in a stern voice, "one of your classmates is in a coma because of something that was thrown into his cauldron, and Mr. Longbottom apparently saw that it was you. You can either allow Professor Snape to question you under Veritaserum, so that you can prove your innocence, or we have to assume your guilt and expel you from Hogwarts."
"Ron, behave yourself," the Weasley matriarch spoke up, before she turned to Severus. "Professor, you have my permission to question Ronald under Veritaserum."
Giving the older witch a curt nod, Severus administered three drops of Veritaserum to the boy's tongue, before he began to question him. After the first couple of questions that were inevitable to confirm that the essence was working, he immediately came to the point.
"What did you put into your classmates' cauldron?"
"Dragon scales" came the automatic response, causing the ladies in the office to gasp.
"As much as I'd love to question the boy for his reasons, I rather go and examine the potion," Severus said to the adults and took his leave, trusting Minerva to continue questioning her atrocious little lion.
HP
Harry felt pain. A lot of pain. It had improved a little after he had told Luna about it, however, it still hurt and he had the impression as if thinking to Luna caused even more pain. He quietly lay there and listened to her talking to him aloud and in a soft, soothing voice. Her babbling made him feel as comfortable as it was possible in spite of the pain.
From time to time, Pomfrey came around and spoke a few words with Luna, and Harry learned from the conversation that Ronald Weasley had been suspended from Hogwarts until further notice and that Professor Snape was analysing the potion in order to find a possible antidote.
'I hope he finds one soon,' Harry thought, feeling very uncomfortable.
At one point, he heard that Pomfrey instructed Luna to head to the Great Hall, as the Halloween feast was going to begin shortly, however, Luna refused and decided to remain with him – much to Harry's relief.
'Luna, can you ask Pomfrey why I can't move and can't speak?' Harry asked the girl, realising that the use of telepathy increased his pain.
"Do you understand us when we speak to you?" Pomfrey enquired, looking at him in expectation.
'Yes,' he thought to Luna who relayed his response.
"That's at least something," Pomfrey said in a soothing voice. "Then it probably won't take long until you'll be able to wake up from your coma."
HP
Professor Snape had yet to return, when Gwendolyn stormed into the hospital wing, closely followed by Sirius and Remus.
"There's a troll in the dungeons," she informed them, while trying to catch her breath. "No one should leave here. Professor Quirrell is just going after him."
"Poppy, what's wrong with Harry?" Sirius spoke up. "Minerva only told me that Weasley threw something in his cauldron and was suspended from Hogwarts until Harry will be awake and able to decide about his punishment."
"Weasley is horrible," Gwendolyn moaned. "Why do I have to be betrothed to such a git?"
'Tell Gwen to not worry,' Harry thought to Luna. 'I have an idea.'
"Really Harry?" Gwendolyn blurted out with a combination of disbelief and delight, just when her father stormed into the hospital wing, wearing a grave expression.
"Out of here," the Potions Master instructed everyone.
"Oh no, Professor, please…"
"Please sir…"
"Everyone. Out. Now," Snape said in a dangerously clear voice, making everyone including his daughter, Luna and the two Marauders flee from the hospital wing.
A mere instant later, McGonagall and Dumbledore entered the room with a battled Defence Against the Dark Arts professor floating in front of them on a stretcher.
"Oh Merlin, what happened now?" Pomfrey blurted out, torn between listening to the Potions Master and looking after the Defence professor.
"Professor Quirrell was attacked by a troll," Dumbledore informed her, causing Pomfrey and Snape to lean over their colleague.
HP
Harry patiently waited, while Pomfrey and Snape worked on Quirrell, before they approached his bedside.
"Quirinus will be all right after a good night's sleep," Pomfrey informed her colleagues, sounding very tired.
"He was lucky that you found him so fast," Snape spoke up. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have made it."
"Thank Merlin," Pomfrey confirmed, before asking, "Did you notice that Quirinus is not stuttering anymore?"
"That's extremely strange," Snape replied, sighing. "I wonder what's happening with him. He has been out of character since the beginning of the school year."
"Severus, what exactly is wrong with Harry?" Dumbledore changed the topic, causing everyone to look at the child in the bed next to them.
"I believe that the potion caused Potter to contract the Influenza Magica," Snape informed the Healer, who let out a gasp of clear shock.
"Oh Merlin," Harry heard the headmaster react on the news. "Will he still be able to attend Hogwarts?"
"We'll have to see that over the next few days or weeks," Pomfrey replied in a grave voice. "First of all, he needs to wake up."
"I am awake," Harry replied in a small voice, noticing in relief that he was suddenly able to speak and move.